The present invention relates generally to a lacrosse stick construction and is more particularly concerned with a novel lacrosse stick construction whereby improved playability and other functional benefits are realized.
FIGS. 1 and 1A hereof depict, in top and right side views, a preferred exemplar of the invention of our parent application and also depict, in broader terms, the general construction features of a modern molded plastic head frame. Thus, referring to FIGS. 1 and 1A there is depicted a lacrosse stick of the type comprising a stick element and a separate molded thermoplastic head frame affixed thereto. The straight stick element 1 defines a handle having a rearward butt end 2 and a forward end 3, said stick element 1 having a longitudinal center line C.sub.L and an uppermost surface 4 which, taken at the forward end 3, defines a plane P (FIG. 1A) which lies parallel to and spaced above the center line C.sub.L. Coaxially affixed to the forward end 3 of the stick element 1 is a head 100 comprising a head frame 5 having a rearwardly facing coaxial fixation means which, in the embodiment shown in these drawings, takes the form of a socket 6 to receive the forward end 3 of the stick element 1 therein. The head frame 5 comprises a pair of side walls 7, 7' extending forwardly of the socket 6 in a symmetrical and laterally divergent manner from the center line C.sub.L and a nose element 8 which bridges the forward ends of the side walls 7, 7', thereby traversing the center line C.sub.L. Where the fixation means comprises a socket 6, of course, it is to be appreciated that the plane P and the center line C.sub.L can also be determined by reference to the interior of said socket 6. As may best be seen in the top plan view of FIG. 1, the nose element 8 is desirably canted forwardly such that the upper edge 8' thereof is located forwardly of its bottom edge 8". Thus the nose element 8 defines a scoop shaped structure over which the reception of a ground ball is facilitated. At the rear of the head frame 5 and truncating the angle defined between the divergent side walls 7, 7' thereof is a rearwardly directed arcuate wall 12 whose radius of curvature is sufficient as to define a stop for the lacrosse ball. Typically, the interior surface of said arcuate wall 12 is lined with a soft, resilient padding 13. Said head frame 5 thus defines within the boundaries of the elements 8, 7, 7' and 12 an interior area of generally isosceles triangular geometry. Said area is broadly divisible, such as shown by the construction line A-A', into a forward zone F wherein the lacrosse ball is received and passed or shot and a rearward throat section T wherein the lacrosse ball resides during a player's possession thereof. In addition, the head frame 5 comprises an upper rim 9 defining the open mouth of the stick and a lower rim 10 having a plurality of apertures 11 spaced about the periphery thereof. In completion of the head 100 the usual netting, which for purposes of clarity is not shown, is affixed to and suspended from the lower rim 10 by means of said apertures 11, thereby to define a bottom closure of the head frame 5. Prior to the advent of the molded plastic head frame lacrosse sticks were generally of one-piece wooden construction wherein the forward end of the stick element, formed of ash, hickory or similar straight grained hardwood, transitions integrally into a head frame comprising a single side wall extending at a laterally divergent angle from the center line of the stick element and a nose element which transitions integrally from the forward end of the side wall element.
In accordance with the invention of our parent application the head 100 is provided with means by which its center of gravity is located at an effective distance below the plane P. By "effective distance" it is meant that the center of gravity of the head 100 is located sufficiently below the plane P as to enable the player using the lacrosse stick to sense the rotational orientation of the head 100 by the feel of the lacrosse stick in the player's hands. While the tactile sensitivities amongst a population of lacrosse players is variable and while the particular design and materials utilized in the construction of protective lacrosse gloves may itself significantly contribute to or detract from such tactile sensitivities, it has been found that this tactile sense is generally present when the center of gravity of the head 100 is located at or below the center line C.sub.L of the stick element 1. In our prior application the center of gravity of the head frame 5 is located below said plane P and preferably below said center line C.sub.L by means of an acutely depending step 14 or 14' formed along the length and preferably rearward of the mid-length of at least one of the side walls 7 or 7'. Where the head frame 5 is formed of molded plastic and comprises a pair of divergent side walls 7, 7' said side walls preferably comprise bilaterally symmetrical, acutely depending steps 14, 14' formed therein, said steps preferably being located rearwardly of the ball stop defined by the arcuate wall 12. This last-mentioned preferred embodiment of the invention can be prepared, for instance, by molding the plastic head frame 5 with a depending bend 15 interposed between the socket 6 and the arcuate wall 12.
As a result of the above-described construction, the lacrosse stick of our prior application is imbued with the ability to provide the player with tactile stimuli, acting through the stick element, which informs the player of the orientation of the head frame without the need for visual observation thereof. Thus, the player's attention need not be diverted from the field of play or the ball in order to establish proper orientation of the head frame of the stick for reception of the ball.
In accordance with the present invention we have discovered additional novel constructions by which said beneficial locating of the center of gravity of the head frame element to an effective distance below the plane defined by the uppermost surface of the stick element may be provided.